CH. 9 Letter to a Princess

Everyone in the office was also a little excited to see what was written on that paper but they couldn't. However, their eyes lit up in excitement as the Grand Princess cleared her throat to read the reply out loud.

My sweet friend Vivi,

I'm most happy to hear that you were worried about me. I could feel your overflowing concern for me from each word in your letters. However, I must let you know that your concerns are not necessary. I might not be able to visit anyone or welcome any visitors at the moment but rest assured, I'm making a relaxing recovery thanks to my husband. I have never realised how much he loves me until now. He is very attentive to my likes and dislikes these days. You have no idea how much it startled me to find him in tears as soon as I woke up from my month-long sleep. Since then I find him dozing off at my bedside in the middle of the night from time to time. Though I find him very cute, his worry over me is exhausting sometimes. What am I but a blessed woman with such a handsome and loving husband. This is just between us but he would whisper sweet nothings when we were alone and promised me that he would make sure that I wouldn't be able to leave our bed once I was fully recovered. Hearing such things from a man who made my twins possible just after one night sure weakens my knees. I wish I could go on and on about it but the space in this silly parchment had run out before I knew it. I have been spending some quality time with my husband so your worries are for naught. I hope you don't spoil your health over me. I wish you good health and a good day.

With Love,

Grace Peregrine.

"What do you think?" She turned to look at Seth who had his face covered in his hands and ears red. "You are a father of two and you still turn red at things like this?"

"There is time and place for everything. How could you read something like that out loud in front of everyone?" Seth looked at her in disbelief.

"Something like what? I could do better than this. I'm just testing the waters for now." She replied proudly. Jasper was stifling his laughter beside him and the squire Basil turned redder than a cherry beside Captain Rupert who had a smile on his face. The head maid and the butler looked oddly satisfied.

"I hope this will give the princess a good time for at least a day." She said putting the letter in an envelope and sealing it securely before handing it to her maid. Seth couldn't believe this letter was being sent to royalty but he too thought that this was more than enough to anger that princess.

"Alright! I'm done here. Ah, I will attend the House Felipe's tea party soon." She informed Seth before standing up.

"Ivy, You are sixteen aren't you?" She asked her maid.

"I will be seventeen in a few months, Your Highness." The maid said eagerly. "Not much difference." She commented.

"Anyways, The actions that are implied in that letter, You are not allowed to indulge in such things until you turn at least eighteen. Do you understand?" She asked as she walked out of the office door.

"Forgive me for I did not understand much of it, Your Highness." Ivy apologised for her lack of understanding.

"Even better." She said and then turned to look at Basil. "You look young as well." She glared at him in warning and he hastily nodded.

"Ivy, get some good tea and a pretty dress for the upcoming tea party. I need to prepare myself. Who knows what kind of stupid gossip I have to sit through." She ordered as she disappeared down the corridor with her maid in tow.

"Her Highness has changed a lot." Jasper observed.

"As you can see." Seth sighed. "That's an entirely different kind of trouble. More annoying than before, If you ask me. So I request you all to keep an eye out on the Grand Princess." He said to the people in the room.

A few days later, the reply letter reached the hands of the princess of Verdant and a palace was almost destroyed in her anger fit. It took the royal family and servants a week to coax her into a good mood. That was the worst storm the servants working at the Verdant Royal Palace and the Royal family ever faced in their entire lives. Seth was delighted to hear the news and sent a bouquet of red and pink Hyacinths and a pair of heels entirely made with a rare jewel stone that could only be found in very high-class dungeons to his wife the next day which the Grand Princess accepted happily. The servants were allowed to take a look and they couldn't help but admire the pair of heels with butterfly wings on it for hours.

These days the atmosphere in the Palace was really good as the Grand Princess changed after her accident. Some maids even lamented not serving her and envied the young maid Ivy. Every time they came across her, they would ask about what the Grand Princess was up to.

But far away from the Valorian Royal Palace, a young man turned a sheet of paper in his hand with an amused expression. It was the letter that fueled his little sister and Verdant's beloved princess into a week-long anger fit.

* * *

"Good day, You two." I greeted the twin boys who I met on my way to the gardens. I wanted to pat those adorable little heads but Noah flinched and Cleo immediately stood in front of him on guard.

"I'm sorry If I startled you." I said.

"Where are you two going?" I asked to lighten their tense mood.

"Just to take a little stroll, Your Highness." Cleo was the one to answer. Noah was still silently holding onto Cleo's hand. They were holding their hands until they were pale enough to see the veins on their wrists. I couldn't help but frown at that sight.

"We apologise if we disturbed your evening, Your Highness. We will take our leave at once." Noah finally spoke and they both turned away but I quickly stopped them.

"No worries, I was only pleasantly surprised. Come have some tea with me." I said and they looked like they didn't have another choice.

Once settled, I ordered the maids to serve the boys some hot chocolate and tea for me. I also had some salty roasted nuts served with desserts.

"Have some." I pushed the snacks to the boys. "Ivy, Do the boys have any food allergies?" I asked my well-informed maid when it came to the boys. Maybe because she has a sick brother and a little sister but Ivy seemed to pay attention to the young lords of the house more than anyone.

"They do not, Your Highness." came the answer.

"Good to hear. Eat what you like then." I said and the twins silently obliged. We settled silently enjoying the snacks in the comfortably cold evening air. The sky was still bright since it was summer and there were still butterflies and dragonflies fluttering their wings here and there.

"What have you been studying these days?" I asked, remembering the uselessly extra hours of studying in the boys' schedule. Now that I'm looking over my duties as the lady of the house, I often have to go through the reports on the twins' education. The boys were silent for a while and I let them take their time to answer.

"We are still studying History and language mostly but we will soon start studying Rune Theory." Noah answered and Cleo looked downcast for some reason.

"Already?" I asked.

"Miss Kaylee said that it was time for us to get started on it. Our mathematics and physics knowledge so far was more than enough to understand the basics of Rune Theory." He explained.

"But you are only six." I couldn't help but mutter. When I was six, I remember my mother doing my homework, which started with questions like what a 2+2 equals so I wouldn't get scolded back in school. She was the one who scolded me a lot but she was also the one who spoiled me like that.

"So, do you like your classes? Do you not find them hard?" I asked softly. There was another long pause before they answered.

"We… We like them." Cleo replied.

"As long as you like them." I smiled and the twins watched me strangely.

"I'm like a different person, aren't I?" I pointed to my face and the two nodded slowly.

"After the accident, My hair and eyes changed and my personality ended up like this. I'm very sorry for being a bad person towards you both before and I'm not anything like that anymore, I promise. I know you would find it difficult to speak with me like this given years of neglect so please take your time to forgive me. But would you have tea with me like this from time to time?" I asked. The twins looked at each other and nodded. They were a little hesitant but I still got what I wanted in the end. It seems like it wasn't too late.

"I saw your weekly test papers a few days ago." I informed them and they tensed again. There was still a long way to go but I hoped that at some point they wouldn't be so on edge when speaking with others.

"You both did well. I especially liked Noah's answer on Valoria's founding and Cleo's explanation of sword aura. Quite the wordsmiths you both are. For someone so young, It was very commendable." I said.

"We are six." Noah replied but Cleo sat there blushing furiously at my compliments. If it was Seth, then he would have replied like Noah and blushed like Cleo. The twins took two halves of Seth, one for each.

"Yes, My lords." I bowed my head with a teasing smile and it was Noah's turn to blush. They are so adorable! I cried inside my head but smiled on the outside. If I were to behave like how I did in front of Seth, I would scare them.

The tea time went pleasantly and I was satisfied with my time spent with the twins. I want to ask them to have dinner together as well but it would be too much for a first meeting. So I held myself and let them go to their palace to have dinner and rest for the day. I would meet them again as long as I take strolls in the garden regularly so I could make it look like a coincidence like today. They agreed to have tea with me from time to time but I couldn't let them find me overbearing.